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News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 10th February 2022..

This week's news-in-brief covers running plans for Sealiway and Skazino, success for the Thierry Duvaldestin stable and the sale of Petit Tonnerre to the UK…

Trotting

The G1 Grand Prix de France - Speed Race (2100m) will be the next target for Flamme du Goutier. Trainer Thierry Duvaldestin confirmed on Thursday she would be taking her place in the contest. With €1.2 million in earnings, Flamme du Goutier is certain to be off the front line in this coming Sunday's race.

The Thierry Duvaldestin stable is one of the most consistent and continues to fire after finishing third in the G1 Grand Prix d'Amerique Legend Race (2700m) with Flamme du Goutier. The following week saw the stable race nine times for two winners last Saturday and five placings. Promising Hello Sport was one of those winners at Vincennes recording his fifth victory and personal best. For this season, the yard has now recorded sixteen successes. Last season they had a record-breaking 239 victories.

The Jean-Michel Bazire stable is at the top of the training ranks for the Winter Meeting however, it is the Écurie Laurent-Claude Abrivard yard who has been the surprise performer with 35 winners since the commencement in early November placing them in second. What is interesting is that 21 of those victories have come from young horses with the letter 'I' and this is from 23 different horses. Isba de Lou has won three whilst Itro and Inmarosa have notched up two wins each. 

After taking over from his father official training responsibilities for the family stable, Jean-Pierre Clément Thomain recorded his first winner at Angers last Friday when Gladys du Cèdre won a mounted contest. Based in Carentan, he prepares approximately forty-five horses.

In December, as a three-year-old, Idao de Tillard ran 1'10''7 over 2100m. Last Sunday week he ran the best last kilometer of the day - 1'09''8! That time was seven tenths better than the best last kilometer of the G1 Grand Prix d'Amérique Legend Race (2700m) credited to Diable de Vauvert.

Disappointing in the G2 Prix Camille Blaisot on 30 January at Vincennes, it has been revealed He And Me will be on the side-lines in the coming months following tests that revealed a problem with his right knee. This means his campaign targeting the G1 Prix de Normandie (3000m) scheduled for June has been abandoned.

Charmont de Zack, winner of the G1 Italian Derby in October, will now be trained by Alessandro Gocciadoro. Seen in France during last spring and summer, he finished second in the G3 Prix de Faulquemont and G3 Prix de Gien. His one start to date at the winter meeting was a disappointing eleventh attempting the G2 Prix Charles Tiercelin in early January.

Flat

Winner of the Class 2 Prix de Solferino at Longchamp in October, Natsukashi has not been seen in competition since. This representative of the Griezmann stable previously finished second in the Listed Prix de la Seine and also ran in the G1 Prix de Diane (2100m). She now returns to the stables of trainer Philippe Decouz and her campaign will be primarily targeting filly races over distance.

Also from the Phillippe Decouz yard, Classic Archi is undefeated, however, has been exported to conduct his future racing in Hong Kong. His owners are based in England and originally from the Island State.

Carlos & Yann Lerner have two exciting fillies for the spring. La Parisienne who won impressively on debut in December over 1900m at Deauville and Dancinginthestreet who has three starts for a win on debut and third in a Class 2 before struggling in the G3 Prix d'Aumale. Both horses are scheduled to return to the track in March and will have Classic aspirations.

Second on debut in December at Deauville, Bits of Love has since won on the AW at Chantilly. The Brandt stable will now aim for the Listed Prix Rose de Mai with a prep race in a Class 2. She does not have an engagement in the G1 Poule d'Essai(1600m) but may be targeted toward the G1 Prix Saint-Alary (2000m).

Sealiway and Skazino have both been confirmed as participants for a trip to Saudi Arabia. Sealiway, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, will contest the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m). Initially trained at Calas near Marseille, he is now based at Chantilly. Sealiway will be ridden by Mickaël Barzalona and both horses will leave France on February 19. Following the race in Riyadh both are ear-marked for a possible race on Dubai World Cup night with Skazino targeting the G2 Dubai Gold Cup (3200m) and Sealiway looking toward the G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m), G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2400m) or G1 Dubai Turf (1800m).

This Thursday, Skazino will make his comeback in the Class 2 Prix William Alexandre Ruinat at Cagnes-sur-Mer as a prep toward his planned race at Riyadh. His target is the G3 Red Sea Turf Handicap (3000m). He too will be ridden by Mickael Barzalona.

The winner of the G1 Prix Jean Romanet (2000m) Grand Glory is unlikely to make the trip to Riyadh. Trainer Gianluca Bietolini believes the option to run the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m) was a little risky considering three factors – the dirt, the somewhat short distance, and the level of the opposition. The alternative race is the G3 Neom Turf Cup however, despite the big prizemoney of US$900,000 this option is unlikely. A final decision has yet to be made if Grand Glory will remain in training as a six-year-old or move to stud with her first mating likely to be with Frankel.

Japanese horse Marche Lorraine is to be ridden by Christophe Soumillon when attempting the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m) on 26 February in Riyadh. She won the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff (1800m) at Del Mar, where the Yoshito Yahagi trainer horse won by a nose against the best American fillies.

On Monday at Chantilly, Kaléo Palace had the Class 3 2700m race won when he crashed into the inside rail dislodging his rider Laura Poggionovo. She was taken to hospital with a suspected tibia fracture.

Jumps

Undefeated over hurdles in two outings as a three-year-old at Dieppe and Compiègne, Petit Tonnerre was subsequently sold to JP McManus in October and will be trained by Jonjo O'Neill. He holds an entry for the G1 Triumph Hurdle (3400m) at Cheltenham in March.

English owner Alasdair Haynes has recorded his first victory in France thanks to César de Ballon at Pau. Haynes is CEO of the British financial services group Aquis Exchange and decided to race in France on the advice of his friend Rich Ricci. He entrusted his horses to Louisa Carberry. To date his best horse has been Brave Buccaneer who won nine times, as well as Melasus, a triple winner and starter in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot.